Here’s an inside look at what’s happening at work: the good, the bad and the humorous.
Bad breaks: The attempts of some employers to limit workers’ activities–such as regulating bathroom breaks on the job–“is an issue that needs a thorough airing out,” according to Chicagoan Charles Topjian, a retired manufacturing plant worker.
Topjian, who describes himself as “a working-class guy,” says he has “worked for many companies, both union and non-union, paternalistic and tyrannical. . . . Management styles and techniques differed, but they all tried to achieve their production goals by gaining as much control over workers as they could get away with.”
Two “techniques” Topjian saw firsthand: A rule forbidding assemblers to drink coffee after two daily 10-minute breaks and a rule forbidding talking during working hours.
His conclusion: “Most workers will tolerate all sorts of exploitive and patronizing behavior from bosses–but most will draw the line at gross deprivation of human dignity.”
Even in a tight job market.
Funny breaks at work: My theory always has been that it’s better to laugh than to cry, and that’s why I’m a fan of Claire Berger, comedian and CEO of FunnyWorks Inc., a management consulting firm in Encino, Calif.
In her new book, “Funny Works!: 52 Ways to Have More Fun at Work” (Seven Locks Press, $11.95), Berger has this fun-filled suggestion:
“Create a workday based on the best memories of childhood,” Berger writes. “Pez on every desktop, a `pin-the-tail-on-the-competitor’ game, Silly Putty art contests, Slinky stair races, jacks, Pick-Up Stix and a lively game of Twister to cap a busy day. Fun and games, in-between meal treats, jaw-breaking candy. . . . Last one to the water cooler is a rotten egg!”
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While playing around this way might not do much for your career advancement, it is guaranteed to reduce stress.
Good access for job seekers: If you’re a present or former client of DBM, a global human resources consulting firm, you now can access a Web site designed to help you seek or keep a job.
The firm has launched a free Internet-based counseling service geared to giving you a “competitive edge in the job market through . . . career development and growth,” according to DBM president Tom Silveri. The insider’s site offers networking contacts, career information–and on-line storage for resumes, cover letters and career analysis. It’s at www.dbmacc.com. But remember, it’s only for DBM’s 8,000 “alumni.”
Scams to avoid: Sometimes, unemployed people get so discouraged in their job hunt that they carelessly plunk down thousands of dollars in hopes of getting a job–and many find to their horror that they don’t get one. “As the job market worsens, `career predators’–firms that take advantage of vulnerable job seekers by charging fees in advance for promises they can’t keep–are emerging in huge numbers,” CareerJournal.com reports.
According to Tony Lee, editor-in-chief of the online executive career site, “career-marketing scam artists promise access to the so-called `hidden job market,’ and any firm that promises to help you find it in return for a few thousand dollars in advance should be avoided at all costs.”
And that cost, Lee says, can range from $2,000 to more than $30,000.
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Carol Kleiman’s columns also appear in Tuesday’s Business and Wednesday’s Working sections. She is the author of “Winning the Job Game: The New Rules for Finding and Keeping the Job You Want” (Wiley, $16.95). Send e-mail to [email protected].